How To: Rest Stop Captain (Bike MS AZ)

By Brad Nelson | March 7, 2016 | Comments Off on How To: Rest Stop Captain (Bike MS AZ)

Thank you for you support and work as a Rest Stop Captain.  It’s an easy and fun job if you are prepared and understand the resources available to you.  Please spend 10 minutes reading through the notes below and getting yourself prepared for the event.

Disclaimer: some details may change due to supply availability and some solutions may need to be found with what you have – as long as it’s clean, safe and fun, it works! When in doubt, call the Route Manager.

Binder and Supplies:

  • When you get to your site, go through all your supply bins.  There are a lot of little, helpful things floating around.
  • At the beginning of the day, take 5 minutes and read through your entire binder.  We’ve put a lot of work into making a quality resource for you this weekend.
  • Unlock equipment, open and search all of your bins to confirm your supplies
    • The lock code is 3939 – the lock is spring-loaded, put in the code, push UP, and the lock with open

Contact the Route Manager when:

  • You first arrive at your rest stop site
  • The first riders arrive at your rest stop
  • Riders report any problems on-route 
  • An hour before your rest stop closes
  • When the sweep rider / SAG arrives 
  • Before you leave your rest stop

Managing the site:

  • Set up three separate stations under your canopy(ies):
    • Water service
    • Food service
    • Food prep & storage
  • Keep slow riders moving so that they don’t miss the finish line meal, be friendly and firm
  • Give other volunteers jobs that are fun and meaningful.  If there are too many volunteers serving, have them be cheerleaders at the entrance to the rest stop.
  • Ensure that even the very last riders get the full benefit and enthusiasm from your rest stop services and volunteers

setup1

setup2

setup3

Food & Water Set Up

  • ALWAYS use gloves when touching food
  • Prepare only enough to serve each wave of riders – keep the rest of the food at your prep table or under your serving table
  • Use spatulas to make PB&Js, then cut into quarters with a knife
  • Serve cookies in trays
  • Cut muffins and other pastries into quarters
  • Cut bananas into halves or thirds
  • Serve small items like pretzels in soufflé cups
  • 5-gallon Igloo coolers are for ice water ONLY
  • Riders can fill their bottles with 1-gallon jugs or ice water
  • Call the Route Manager when you’ve used half of the full jugs
  • Arrange the water on its own table away from the food
  • Place a few electrolyte tubs next to the water with scoops for self-service – do not pre-mix

food 2 food1 food3    

Wind Down:

One hour before your rest stop is scheduled to close, PARTIALLY break down your equipment:

  • Condense food & water into a single table
  • Return supplies to the bins
  • Separate catering items from equipment, dirty items from clean items (use a clear trash bag)
  • Leave full trash bags in trash cans
  • Stack bins, equipment & leftover food for easy loading into the supply truck like this:

stacks

Rest Stop Close

  • Close your rest stop ONLY when confirmed by the Route Manager
  • Help load the supply truck when it arrives
  • If directed to leave before the supply truck arrives, lock your canopies to your tables